Air and water inlet for lather making machine



Feb. 28, 1961 H- E. BARROWS 2,973,324

AIR AND WATER INLET FOR LATHER MAKING MACHINE Filed June 6, 1957 T FROM PUMP AIR AND WATER INLET FOR LATHER MAKING MACHINE Howard E. Barrows, Racine, Wis, assignor to John Oster Manufacturing Co., Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Filed June 6, 1957, Ser. No. 663,973

6 Claims. (Cl. 252-359) under consideration has a substantially cylindrical lather generating compartment with a cup-shaped soap holder concentrically mounted therein for rotation on an upright axis. The outer surface of the side wall of the soap holder is ridged or corrugated to provide a lather agitator, and it cooperates with the concentric cylindrical wall of the compartment to define an annular lather agitating chamber. When the machine is in operation, water is directed downwardly onto a cake of soap in the soap holder from a water inlet at the top of the vessel, and both the soap and the soap holder are rotated at high speed. The water strikes the upper surface of the cake of soap in the soap holder and is deflected radially outwardly over the soap, forming a soap solution which enters the lather agitating chamber, where the ridged side wall of the rotating soap holder whips or agitates it into a lather.

Obviously it is necessary to introduce air into the lather making compartment in order to generate lather from the soap solution in the agitating chamber. In the past, however, it has sometimes happened that the air inlet of the lather generating compartment has been blocked by a clot of dried lather from a previous operation of the machine so that lather generation could not be accom- I plished even though the machine was functioning properly in all other respects. A malfunction from this cause was especially bafiling to a person who did not have a rather intimate knowledge of the workings of the machine,

and even when its cause was known it usually was not detected until after a substantial amount of unfrothed soap solution had accumulated in the lather generating compartment, necessitating drainage of the compartment.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to pro vide, in a lather making machine of the character described, an air inlet which is effectively self-cleaning, and from which any accumulation of dried lather will be immediately washed away by water entering the lather making compartment when the machine is started.

It is also an object of this invention to provide means defining an air inlet in the lather making compartment of a machine of the character described, which air inlet is so located and arranged that any lather accumulating thereat will tend to remain undried so that it can be readily washed away when operation of the machine is recommended, such moisture in the lather at the air inlet being maintained by the presence of a drop of water in "atent C 2,973,324 Patented Feb. 28, 1961 its neighborhood, remaining from the last operation of the machine.

While the admission of a proper flow of air to the lather generating compartment has posed a problem in past-machines of the type here under consideration, another source of inconsistent and unreliable production of lather in such machines has been the lack of proper regulation of the flow of water into the lather making compartment. If water enters at too slow a rate, lather will not be generated fast enough for the machine to be satisfactory for barber shop use; whereas an excessive flow of water will produce an unsatisfactory lather characterized by a substantial proportion of unfrothed soap solution.

It is therefore another object of this invention to provide improved water inlet means for a lather making machine of the character described having provision for adjustingly regulating the rate at which water may be introduced into the lather generating compartment.

In this connection, it is also an object of this invention to provide means defining an annular water inlet for the lather generating compartment of a lather making machine, wherein an adjustable valve element cooperates with an inlet nozzle body to define said annular water inlet and also effects regulation of the rate at which water flows into the compartment, and wherein said valve is tubular so as to provide an air inlet for the chamber which is coaxial with the water inlet.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, this invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafter described and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it being understood that such changes in the precise embodiment of the hereindisclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of the claims.

The accompanying drawings illustrate one complete example of the physical embodiment of the invention constructed according to the best mode so far devised for the practical application of the principles thereof, and in which: I

Figure l is a fragmentary front elevational view of a lather making machine embodying the air and water inlet of this invention, portions being cut away and shown in section;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the plane of the line 2--2 in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on the plane of the line 33 in Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view on an enlarged scale of the air and water inlet of this invention.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings, the lather making machine of this invention is of the type shown in the aforesaid patent to Johnson et al., to which reference may be made for a more complete description. In general, such a machine comprises a housing 6 having a removable top wall or cover 7. The housing embraces an electric motor 1 which is fixedly mounted in the housing with its shaft 1a extending vertically upwardly through the bottom wall 2 of the lather generating compartment 3. The lather generating compartment has a cylindrical side wall 3a that extends upwardly to the top wall 7 of the housing, in concentric relation to the motor shaft 1a, and supports the top wall 7. Hence, the top wall 7 is intended to serve as a fluid tight closure for the top of the lather generating compartment 3.

Soap in cake form, from which a soap solution may be made and which solution in turn may be agitated in the presence of air to form lather, is retained in an up;

wardly opening soap cup 8 in the compartment 3, having a horizontal bottom wall which is fixed to the upper end of the motor shaft 1a and closely overlies the bottom wall 2 of the lather making compartment. The cup has a cylindrical side wall 8a which is in spaced concentric relation to the surrounding side wall 4:: of the lather making compartment so as to cooperate therewith in defining an annular lather agitating chamber 4 therebetween. The side wall of the cup, however, terminates a slight distance from the underside of the cover 7, in externally overlapping relation to a depending annular flange 7a on the underside of the cover so that the upper end of the cup is substantially closed. The space in the lather making compartment surrounding the flange 7a leads to a passage 5 that opens through the top wall 7 of the housing and communicates the upper portion of the annular agitating chamber 4 with a discharge spout 9 from which lather produced in the agitating chamber may be discharged.

It will be appreciated that the side wall 8a of the cup has a series of openings therein (not shown) through which the soap solution formed in the cup may be centrifugally discharged upon motor produced rotation of the cup while water (and air) is introduced into the top of the cup. A series of substantially vertical but helically arranged flutes on the exterior of the side wall of the cup effect agitation of the soap solution in the agitating chamber 4, in the presence of air introduced into the chamber from the top of the cup in a manner now about to be described. These flutes thus facilitate lather making in the chamber surrounding the cup, and in addition serve to positively expel the lather from the chamber during motor produced rotation of the cup in the proper direction.

As shown best in Figure 1, a readily removable thumb screw 10 holds the top wall in place, and an ornamental cover 11 fits over the top of the machine to conceal the thumb screw and other portions of the mechanism which project above the top wall.

The inlets through which air and water are introduced into the lather making compartment are defined by a nozzle body fitting 12 and a co-operating tubular needle valve 13. The nozzle body has a reduced diameter lower end portion 14 which is threaded to receive a nut 15. This lower end portion projects through a hole in the removable top wall of the housing, and a downwardly facing shoulder 16 on the nozzle body, defined by the junction of the reduced diameter lower portion of the body with its upper portion, engages the upper face of the top wall. The nut clampingly confines a washer 17 against the underside of the top wall to effect a good seal, and secures the nozzle body in the top wall substantially concentrically of the lathering chamber. Preferably the nozzle body is hexagonal in horizontal section directly above the shoulder 16, so that it may be held with a wrench while the nut 15 is tightened.

Extending coaxially through the nozzle body is a bore 18, the diameter of which varies from point to point along its length. The needle valve 13 is seated in this bore, as more particularly described hereinafter, and the lower end portion of the needle valve cooperates with the bore in the nozzle body to define an annular water inlet orifice 19.

Opening laterally to one side of the nozzle body, above the top wall of the housing, is a passage 20 which communicates with the bore 18 in the body, and through which water may be introduced into the waterinlet orifice. A nipple 21 seated in the outer end portion of the passage provides a connection for a flexible tube 22 which is in turn communicated with the outlet of a water pump (not shown).

Intermediate its ends the needle valve 13 has an external thread 24, which cooperates with an internal thread in the bore in the body to mount the needle valve in the body for adjusting up and down movement. The body bore has a convergent mouth, as at 26, which provides a valve seat, and the lower end portion of the needle valve is tapered, as at 27, so that rotation of the needle valve effects adjusting regulation of the area of the mouth of the annular orifice as the needle valve moves up and down. The upper end portion of the needle valve comprises a knurled knob 28 which facilitates such adjusting rotation of it, and a seal between the needle valve and the nozzle body is provided by an annular gasket29 which is seated in a counterbore in the nozzle body opening to the top thereof and which engages a cylindrical surface 31 on the needle valve, beneath the knob 28.

The coaxial bore 32 through the tubular needle valve provides the air inlet to the lather generating compartment. Any clot of lather which might settle across the mouth of the air inlet when the machine is turned oif would be washed away-by the first few drops of water entering the machine when it is restarted because the water inlet is an annular orifice partially defined by the lower end of the tubular needle valve and therefore closely surrounding the mouth of the air inlet. Such washing action is assured by reason of the fact that the water is forced into the orifice under at least a small head of pressure generated by the water pump. Moreover, the arrangement of air and water inlets just described pro vides assurance that lather which might accumulate across the air inlet will be kept moist for a substantial period of time, at least equal to that normally elapsing between operations of the machine, because the last bit of water entering the orifice when the machine is shut off will tend to form a hanging drop of water at the mouth of the orifice, directly across the air inlet chamber.

From the foregoing description taken together with the accompanying drawings it will be readily apparent that this invention provides air and water inlet defining means in a lather making machine of the character described whereby an adequate supply of air for lather generating purposes will always be assured of entry into the lather generating compartment of the machine and wherein means are also provided for adjusting regulation of the rate at which water may enter said compartment.

What is claimed as my invention is:

1. In a lather making machine of the type which uses cake soap: means defining a compartment having a top wall; a cup shaped soap holder rotatably mounted in said compartment, under the top wall thereof; and means in the top wall of the compartment, over the soap holder, defining an outer annular water inlet passage through which water may be introduced onto soap in the soap holder to generate soap solution therefrom, and a concentric inner air inlet passage through which air may enter the compartment to be whipped into a lather with soap solution, said water and air inlet passages having their concentric mouths adjacent to one another so that water issuing from the mouth of the annular water inlet pas sage when the machine is started will wash away any accumulation of lather which may be blocking the mouth of the air inlet passage.

2. A lather making machine of the type comprising a compartment having a top wall and in which soap and water can be brought into contact with one another to produce a soap solution and the soap solution can be agitated in the presence of air to form a lather, a cup shaped soap holder rotatably mounted in the compartment and providing a soap solution agitator, means for rotating the soap holder, and means for admitting air and water to the compartment, characterized by the fact that said last named means comprises means in the top wall of the compartment defining an annular water inlet passage and a concentric inner air inlet passage, both opening to the interior of the compartment over the cup shaped holder and having their mouths adjacent to one another so that water issuing from the mouth of the annular water inlet passage when the machine is started will wash away any accumulation of lather which may be blocking the mouth of the air inlet passage.

3. In a lather making machine of the type which uses cake soap: wall means defining a substantially closed compartment in which water and cake soap may be brought into contact with one another to produce a soap solution which, when agitated in the presence of air, yields a lather; a cup-shaped soap holder rotatably mounted in the compartment for holding cake soap and for agitating soap solution to generate lather; a nozzle body mounted in a wall of the compartment above the soap holder, said nozzle body having a bore therethrough defining a water supply passage having its discharge mouth opening to the interior of the compartment, the nozzle body having a transverse passage, communicating with said bore at a location spaced from said discharge mouth, opening to one side of the nozzle body and communicable with a source of water; and a tubular flow metering valve concentrically mounted in said bore in the nozzle body with its inner end portion disposed in said discharge mouth and smaller in diameter than the bore in the nozzle body so as to cooperate with the nozzle body to define an annular orifice through which water flowing in said supply passage can debouch into the interior of the compartment, the bore in the tubular metering valve providing the air inlet to the compartment.

4. The lather making machine of claim 3, further characterized by the fact that the bore in the nozzle body has a taperingly reduced diameter leading to its discharge mouth; further characterized by the fact that said flow metering valve is tapered at its inner end portion; and further characterized by the fact that said flow metering valve and the nozzle body have cooperating threads whereby the flow metering valve may be adjustingly moved inwardly and outwardly in the nozzle body bore so that the tapering inner portion of the valve cooperates with the inner portion of the bore in the body to regulate the area of said annular orifice and thus control the rate at which water can flow through into the compartment.

5. In a lather making machine: wall means defining a lather generating compartment in which soap solution may be formed from cake soap and whipped into a lather; agitator means in said lather gene-rating compartment for effecting relative motion between a cake of soap in the compartment and water introduced thereinto, and by which soap solution can be generated and whipped into lather; a nozzle body having a reduced diameter end portion adapted to project into the interior of the compartment through an aperture in the wall thereof and threaded to receive a nut by which the nozzle body may be held in said wall, said nozzle body having a bore extending axially therethrough with the mouth of the bore opening to the lather generating compartment, and said body having, intermediate its ends, a laterally extending passage opening to the bore for communicating said bore in the nozzle body with a source of water; a tubularvalve member in said bore having its inner end concentrically positioned within the mouth of the bore and cooperating with the nozzle body to define an annular water discharge orifice communicating said passage with the interior of the lather generating compartment, the bore through the valve communicating the interior of the lather generating compartment with the atmosphere; and cooperating means on the nozzle body and on said tubular valve member for adjustably restricting said orifice to thus regil ate the rate at which water may flow into the lather generating compartment.

6. In a lather making machine: wall means defining a substantially closed compartment in which water and soap may be brought into contact with one another to produce a soap solution which, when agitated in the presence of air yields a lather; a nozzle body mounted in an upper wall of the compartment, said nozzle body having a passage therethrough, a discharge portion of which opens to the interior of the compartment and an inlet portion of which is communicable with a source of water under pressure; a flow metering valve rotatably mounted in the nozzle body with its inner end portion disposed within said discharge portion of the nozzle passage, the axis of rotation of the valve being concentric to said discharge portion of the nozzle passage, and rotation of the valve to ditferent positions effecting quantity control of water flowing through the passage into the compartment, said flow metering valve having a bore therethrough opening to the exterior of the nozzle body whereby the flow metering valve provides a tubular air inlet for the compartment; and means accessible at the exterior of the nozzle body and connected with the tubular air inlet to facilitate manual adjustment of the flow metering valve.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATION OF CORRECTION Patent No. 2,973,324 February 28 1961 Howard E Barrows It is hereby certified'that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Signed and sealed this 25th day 01 July 1961'\:

(SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST W. SWIDER Attesting Officer DAVID L. LADD Commissioner of Patents 

1. IN A LATHER MAKING MACHINE OF THE TYPE WHICH USES CAKE SOAP: MEANS DEFINING A COMPARTMENT HAVING A TOP WALL, A CUP SHAPED SOAP HOLDER ROTATABLY MOUNTED IN SAID COMPARTMENT, UNDER THE TOP WALL THEREOF, AND MEANS IN THE TOP WALL OF THE COMPARTMENT, OVER THE SOAP HOLDER, DEFINING AN OUTER ANNULAR WATER INLET PASSAGE THROUGH WHICH WATER MAY BE INTRODUCED ONTO SOAP IN THE SOAP HOLDER TO GENERATE SOAP SOLUTION THEREFROM, AND A CONCENTRIC INNER AIR INLET PASSAGE THROUGH WHICH AIR MAY ENTER THE COMPARTMENT TO BE WHIPPED INTO A LATHER WITH SOAP SOLUTION, SAID WATER AND AIR INLET PASSAGES HAVING THEIR CONCENTRIC MOUTHS ADJACENT TO ONE ANOTHER SO THAT WATER ISSUING FROM THE MOUTH OF THE ANNULAR WATER INLET PASSAGE WHEN THE MACHINE IS STARTED WILL WASH AWAY ANY ACCUMULATION OF LATHER WHICH MAY BE BLOCKING THE MOUTH OF THE AIR INLET PASSAGE. 